• Skip to main content

    Government/Policy

    October 29, 2016

    WTO Disappointed in Members Ignoring Requests to Report Their Subsidies

    Written by Sandy Williams

    The World Trade Organization requires members to inform the organization of any domestic subsidy programs they are providing to industries. The WTO said compliance with the obligation to notify “remains discouraging low.”

    “As of today, a total of 89 members have not yet made their 2015 new and full subsidy notification, for which the deadline was 30 June 2015,” said Jin-dong Kim, the chair of the WTO’s Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Committee. “And 63 members still have not made their 2013 new and full subsidy notification, although the deadline was more than three years ago.”

    Sandy Williams

    Read more from Sandy Williams

    Latest in Government/Policy

    Leibowitz: Will the next Congress take aim at Trump’s tariffs to address affordability concerns?

    The election last Tuesday was a stunning rebuke to President Trump and many of his policies. High prices and pessimism about the economy were clearly on the minds of voters and the members of Congress they sent to Washington. Trade policy can help address those issues. Some trade experts think the new Congress could deal with tariffs on imports from Canada early on. I also expect hearings and new bills to more closely control presidential authority over tariffs. Much is unknown about what will happen come January, when new members convene. But some points are already obvious to those who see politics as a means to an end (governing) rather than as an end in itself (getting elected).

    Canadian minister urges probe of Cliffs’ handling of Stelco

    Canadian Minister of Industry Melanie Joly has urged that Canada’s Competition Bureau examine Cleveland-Cliffs’ conduct in the Canadian marketplace following its Stelco acquisition. Minister Joly sent a letter to Jeanne Pratt, Commissioner of Competition, on Friday, regarding testimony Cliffs Chairman and CEO Lourenco Goncalves made to the US Congressional Steel Caucus, and a subsequent interview to the CBC. oly said that in the Caucus testimony, “Goncalves stated that his company had acquired Stelco to ‘block’ it from selling into the US market.”

    Commerce amends duties on pipe and tube imports

    The US Department of Commerce recently made adjustments to the anti-dumping duties (AD) on certain steel pipe and tube imports after annual administrative reviews, according to notices in the Federal Register. Commerce reviewed the AD order on imports of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from Mexico and lowered the dumping rate for one company. Tubos de Acero de Mexico received a 1.87% dumping rate for the year ended Oct. 31, 2024. The rate is down notably from 26.1% in the previous year. The all-others cash deposit rate remains set at 44.93%.

    US tweaks import duties on Korean plate

    After an annual administrative review, the US Department of Commerce is adjusting the countervailing duties (CVDs) on imports of cut-to-length carbon-quality steel plate from South Korea. For the 2024 calendar year, Commerce set CVDs of 1.89% for Dongkuk Steel Mill and 1.39% for Hyundai Steel, according to a Federal Register announcement. The rates have changed slightly from the prior year review: Dongkuk's is down from 2.21% and Hyundai's is up from 1.31%. The cash deposit rate for all other companies remains 3.26%.

    Steel groups address Democrat gains in midterms

    The Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) and the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) have weighed in on yesterday’s midterm elections that saw Democrats gain control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. “Last night's elections delivered historic gains for Democrats in Congress,” SMA EVP Brandon Farris said in a statement to SMU on Wednesday. “Thankfully, a strong American steel industry transcends party lines." He said SMA's mission remains clear. It includes defending “the policies that have helped drive historic investment, strengthen American manufacturing, secure reliable and affordable energy, and ensure domestic steelmakers can compete on a level playing field.”